Where do I even begin about Tuesday’s show? Sometimes the hardest thing is to find a hook, something to wrap the review in. When the house lights came back on at the Entry I had so many it took me a bit to wrap my head around. So let’s start at the beginning.
It started with a pitch for a band coming out of NYC that had some serious buzz and was creating their own community of fans. Add one of my favorite local bands and a newcomer that I have been meaning to check out. So I moved my schedule around to be able to make it to the Entry only to learn a few hours before show time that Good Night Gold Dust had to bow out of the show. To all of those who choose refunds for their tickets rather than go – wrong move 🙂
Minneapolis’s The Catalina started the evening with a rap “I Love My Mom” blasting the unsuspecting audience – well I for one was unsuspecting. Fortunately for me it got better than that quickly, much better. Their sound is an interesting pop mix with synthy undertones. What their fans lacked in numbers they made up in enthusiasm. I enjoyed their set and hope to catch them again soon.
By the time Moon Kissed hit the stage, the Entry was still sparsely populated. I always feel for artists who need to overcome the dynamics of a show with a small crowd. The energy coming from the audience is essential for performers. What happened over the next hour left my jaws on the floor. Moon Kissed and especially singer Khaya Cohen conquered every single person in the entry. She started gently by asking the crowd what our band name was. A few settled on “glad to be here” and sure enough we were. The music was great – I can’t get “Lost It” out of my head. Moving off stage claiming the mostly empty floor as her own and daring fans to join her without saying so. By their last number we were engaged in a dance off with the previous night’s show in Davenport, IA and there was no lurking safely in the dark corners away from the stage. Moon Kissed has some serious musical chops and is not afraid to push us out of our comfort zone. But I can’t get over how seriously good they are. When they come back to town, go see them. I will be there – with a shit eating grin on my face.
